Oh That’s Good! Write That Down!

I often speak about journaling in my blog posts. It is a powerful tool that can help in a variety of situations.

Initially I was quite reluctant to journal. This would be a place where I would say things I was not ready to say out loud. It would have half-baked ideas not thoroughly thought out. It would contain my goals and aspirations. I had this fear of someone finding it. Then my life coach brought up a very good point: So what??!!

I had to think about that for a minute. And what I realized is that I had all these fantastical foils in my head of what MIGHT happen. Then I came to realize that no one really cares what is in my journal. They are definitely not thinking about it as much as I was!

I did however have a stigma about journaling for a while. But the more I wrote, the more I saw its value.

Here are some tips if you are nervous or uneasy about journaling:

• If you don’t like the word journaling, call it writing. It is after all you writing.
• Remember that there is no right or wrong way to journal. No journaling ref is going to pop out of the woodwork and blow their whistle and throw a yellow flag on the field for a penalty!
• Journaling can take many different forms. You can write in a notebook, you can write in pen or pencil (heck – crayon would work!), you can write electronically, you can record your entry verbally into your smart phone recorder, you can write on sticky notes. There is not going to be a line drawn where things on this side are journaling and things on the other side are not.
• You can use journaling to capture great quotes that inspire you. These are great to transfer to a vision board too.
• A journal can double as a gratitude log. Just jot down a few things you are grateful for before your entry.
• There is no official journaling schedule. Some people love to write every day. Others write every so often. And others still write only when they need to chew on an idea. The writing helps to get it out of your head and on to paper. It empties brain space so you can analyze from different perspectives.
• Ideas can then be further refined through journaling. Details can be added to entries. There is no rule that says you can’t go back and add to an entry. Often deeper thoughts come once the initial idea is out of your head. There is no time limit on the life of entries.
• Journaling can serve as a stress reliever. Again, getting things out of our head where thoughts can grow fantastical can be very helpful. It helps curb making a mountain out of a mole hill.
• You can always write to get emotions or thoughts out and then burn the paper. This is actually quite therapeutic as a release.
• And one thing I really like is that journaling can serve as a gateway. A good gateway. After I began journaling, it was an easy step up to a vision board. The vision board represented my goals loudly (and proudly!). But journaling helped get me there. I took a baby step from writing in a more private manner to putting things in images and words that I could display.
• It is the one place where you can really let your hair down and be totally completely uncensored. Let it go! Don’t put limitations on yourself. This is not the time for literary genius type pressures. Just write what comes to mind. If it’s coming to your mind, it needs releasing on the paper.

All in all, I would encourage you to start journaling in some fashion. Don’t worry if you aim to write every day and it doesn’t happen. That’s ok. The important thing is to write when YOU feel like writing. Be open to the experience and this is one thing I would say try to stick with it more than once. It takes a while to get into your own groove with journaling. It won’t be long before you are impressed with your own wittiness and insight!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE?

Just include this complete statement with the content: A. Lynn Jesus, CEO and Purpose Expert with Thriveology, is dedicated to helping people discover their purpose and live life on their terms. Are you ready to get started? Get her FREE guidebook 5 Steps to Begin Defining Your Journey.